The Government claims the Election Commission (EC) may have been unduly influenced by an outside force to declare that the parliamentary election could not be held on 20 June. Government Spokesman and former State Minister of Investment Promotion Keheliya Rambukwella said that he did not understand the reasons given by the EC for not being able to hold the election on 20 June. He said the confusing reasons set out by the EC along with other factors have led him to believe the Commission was influenced. “Now the Commission is saying that a period 10-12 weeks is needed from the date of nominations to hold the election when the Constitution says that from the time of nominations, a minimum of five weeks and a maximum of seven weeks is there for the Commission to set a date for election. Also, taking into consideration many other activities taking place, I’m compelled to think there is some kind of influence in play,” Rambukwella said. He then charged that the counsel representing the EC was a political appointee and partisan. “The counsel was retained by the Commission as a political appointee by the UNP (United National Party) Government to the Office on Missing Persons (OMP). If I remember right, prior to that, he was a member of the Working Committee of the UNP. He is a known partisan lawyer with a political background. Putting all these things together, I have a feeling that there is some kind of a calculated decision taken here,” he said.